Richard Whittall:

The Globalist's Top Ten Books in 2016: The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer

Middle East Eye: "

The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer is one of the weightiest, most revelatory, original and important books written about sport"

“The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer has helped me immensely with great information and perspective.”

Bob Bradley, former US and Egyptian national coach: "James Dorsey’s The Turbulent World of Middle Eastern Soccer (has) become a reference point for those seeking the latest information as well as looking at the broader picture."

Alon Raab in The International Journal of the History of Sport: “Dorsey’s blog is a goldmine of information.”

Play the Game: "Your expertise is clearly superior when it comes to Middle Eastern soccer."

Andrew Das, The New York Times soccer blog Goal: "No one is better at this kind of work than James Dorsey"

David Zirin, Sports Illustrated: "Essential Reading"

Change FIFA: "A fantastic new blog'

Richard Whitall of A More Splendid Life:

"James combines his intimate knowledge of the region with a great passion for soccer"

Christopher Ahl, Play the Game: "An excellent Middle East Football blog"

James Corbett, Inside World Football

Monday, June 6, 2011

Soccer could cost Turkish Prime Minister votes in Trabzon

In much of Turkey the question is not whether Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Democracy Party (AKP) will win June 12 elections but by what margin. The Black Sea town of Trabzon may be the exception after the city’s Trabzonspor soccer club lost its bid for the Turkish Spor Toto Super League title to Istanbul’s Fenerbahce.

Trabzonspor fans vented their anger in the front yard of an AKP office in Istanbul because Mr. Erdogan, a former soccer player, is known to be an ardent Fenerbahce fan who met with club officials before the match. He is said to have counseled Fenerbahce on how to win the championship. On Facebook, Trabzonspor fans warned that they would respond at the ballot box.

Mr. Erdogan was quick to try to repair the damage. Donning a shirt and tie in Trabzon’s blue and maroon colors, Mr. Erdogan said “it is wrong to turn this into a political campaign. Because as a prime minister, the importance I give to Trabzon's love for sports is evident. Wrong acts may have been committed, but it would be wrong to put the prime minister on the target. With my personality and character I cannot be associated with such a thing. It is merciless.”

Turkish columnist Cemal Ersen takes the fans’ threat serious because opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) deputy Volkan Canalioğlu won the last election in Trabzon because of his support for Trabzonspor.

Trabzon is known for its legendary soccer club, its fanatical football fans and hot-tempered, explosive inhabitants who are quicker with a knife than with their wits.

Trabzonspor’s loss on the pitch will be forgotten by the time the elections take place. “It will only matter for a short time. Those who vote for the AK Party will do so again. I don't think the AK Party votes will be affected. If it had happened one or two days before the elections, it might have been something, but 20-25 days will have passed and things will cool down before then,” Mr. Talimciler told Turkish daily Zaman.

Mr. Talimceler argues that Mr. Erdogan benefits from his knowledge and support for the beautiful game. “A politician who comes from a football tradition is positive in the eyes of the public,” he said.

The Trabzonspor-Fenerbahce incident is not the first time Mr. Erdogan got into hot water because of his actions regarding or comments on soccer.

In January, the prime minister encountered angry fans wnhen he attended the opening of Istanbul club Galatasray’s new Ali Sami Yen Sports Complex Turk Telekom Arena. Mr. Erdogan reacted by saying that Galatasary had not spent a cent on the new stadium, overlooking the fact that the fact that the club had given land to the government in exchange for its support.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Sporticos

Ads

Soccer Results

The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer does not promote, link to or provide videos from any online sources who distribute illegal streaming content over the Internet with domains registered in the United States of America

Top 100 Soccer Sites

Subscribe To

Subscribe by Email

About Me

James M DorseyWelcome to The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer by James M. Dorsey, a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Soccer in the Middle East and North Africa is played as much on as off the pitch. Stadiums are a symbol of the battle for political freedom; economic opportunity; ethnic, religious and national identity; and gender rights. Alongside the mosque, the stadium was until the Arab revolt erupted in late 2010 the only alternative public space for venting pent-up anger and frustration. It was the training ground in countries like Egypt and Tunisia where militant fans prepared for a day in which their organization and street battle experience would serve them in the showdown with autocratic rulers. Soccer has its own unique thrill – a high-stakes game of cat and mouse between militants and security forces and a struggle for a trophy grander than the FIFA World Cup: the future of a region. This blog explores the role of soccer at a time of transition from autocratic rule to a more open society. It also features James’s daily political comment on the region’s developments. Contact: incoherentblog@gmail.comView my complete profile